#NowATerp Tour Returns With Surprise Visits to Three UMD Applicants

In the University of Maryland’s version of the old Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, the knock on the door comes not with an oversize check but a bright red envelope and a coveted acceptance letter.

Pompom-wielding undergraduate admissions staff, a contingent from the Mighty Sound of Maryland marching band and Testudo boarded a black and red UMD bus Sunday morning and trekked across the state to surprise three students with the news that they’d been accepted as freshmen for the Fall 2023 semester.

“I hope this is the start of their Maryland experience and it sets the tone for what their next four years are going to be like,” said Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management Shannon Gundy, who had the honor of making the announcement.

This was the first time since 2020 that the #NowATerp tour had hit the road in advance of admission decisions going out to all applicants.

Watch the reactions from Franklin in Frederick County, D’Mya in Baltimore and Elly in Carroll County—and the cheers and happy tears from family members.